Indian hockey team eyes Olympics semi-final

Siliguri, March 9.TT: The Indian hockey team that has qualified for the London Olympics is now targeting a spot at the semi-finals.

“Our aim is to get to the semi-final of the Olympics and we are working hard at it. We have a group of young players with an average age of 26 years who are ready for the big event,” team captain Bharat Chhetri said in Siliguri.

The team qualified for the Olympics after beating France 8-1 on February 26 in Delhi.

Chhetri returned to his home at Methibari on Tuesday after the squad pushed France out of the competition. Methibari is 8km from here.

The captain said all the players of the team were in good shape under the training of Australian coach Michael Jack Nobbs.

“We are hopeful for a good show this time in the Olympics as our players are physically fit and ready for any challenge. We have worked hard under the guidance of our Australian coach who has not only elevated our fitness level but also helped us develop skills. For me fitness is more important than experience as this is a fast game and you have 70 minutes to prove yourself,” said the 30-year-old player.

The last time the Indian team took part in the Olympics was in 2004 in Athens.

In the tournament that begins on July 27, 12 hockey teams would be divided into two groups and the top four squads would qualify for the semis. The two top teams from the semi-finals would take on each other in the final.

Chhetri said a month-long conditioning camp started in Bangalore from Tuesday and he would join the team on March 13.

He added that after the camp the squad will be touring Europe for the next two months where it will participate in a four-nation tournament in London. The team will take on Australia, England and Germany during the tourney. Later, the squad will play practice matches in Spain, the Netherlands and Germany so that the players become acclimatised to the weather.

“Sandip Singh has emerged as one of the best penalty corner specialists in the world. He has developed a very good combination with defenders like V. Raghunath and Rupinder Pal Singh. In the Olympics England’s condition will be like playing in front of our home crowd as a lot of Indians and Pakistanis are settled in London and they will support our team. Pakistan will be another favourite in the Olympics,” Chhetri said.